This invention relates generally to drink spouts and drink valves, and more particularly to drink spouts that include a piercing portion adapted to pierce a beverage container to access a drink beverage within the container.
Aseptic drink pouches and boxes have become popular ways to conveniently package and sell drinks. An aseptic drink pouch is a flexible pouch that is typically formed from plastic or plastic and foil and which is free or freed from pathogenic microorganisms. An aseptic drink box is a box that is free or freed from pathogenic microorganisms. Aseptic drink boxes are typically formed of cardboard, paper, plastic, foil and combinations thereof. Drink boxes typically include a plastic liner, wax coating or other suitable liner or coating to provide a waterproof enclosure for a drink fluid. An aseptic drink pouch or box typically includes a hole in the top of the pouch or box covered by thin layers of plastic and/or foil. The pouch or box is sold with a straw that is used to pierce the foil and plastic and extend through the hole for drinking. However, drink pouches and boxes have the drawback of allowing liquid to spill. For example, drink pouches and boxes often spill when the straw is inserted because the user is holding the pouch or box in one hand while trying to insert the straw through the foil and plastic into the straw hole. The pressure of holding the pouch or box and pressing the straw against the foil and plastic covering the hole often causes the liquid to spray out of the hole or out of the straw as the foil and plastic are pierced. Drink pouches and boxes also spill when tipped because the straws used to pierce and drink from the pouches or boxes do not include a closable valve for preventing liquid from being dispensed through the straws.
Other drink boxes include drink, or pour, spouts that extend outward from the drink box and include screw caps that are threadingly engaged on the drink spouts. Examples of these drink boxes are xe2x80x9cgable-topxe2x80x9d drink boxes that are used for milk and some juices. The screw cap allows the box to be sealed when the cap is in place, but it does not provide any form of valve, much less an automatically closing valve to prevent spills. These gable-top drink boxes include a removable inner seal that must be removed before the contents of the box may be dispensed through the drink spout. A company called Tetra Pak has also introduced in 2000 a cap for aseptic boxes that, upon rotation of the cap, biases via cam action a pivotal tooth through the inner seal so that the inner seal does not have to be physically removed. However, the cap still needs to be removed to dispense fluid, and the cap must be replaced to prevent leaks.
Drinks are also packaged and sold in drink bottles, which are typically formed of plastic or glass. These bottles often include a foil or plastic seal that covers the opening of the bottle and that must be removed before a user can drink out of the bottle. Once removed, the drink may spill if the bottle is tipped.
The inventions described herein provide a drink spout system capable of easily piercing a drink container or a seal across an opening in the drink container to access the drink fluid contained within the drink container. The drink spout system may include a valve assembly to regulate the flow of the drink fluid through the drink spout. The drink spout system may additionally or alternatively include a valve assembly that is configured to prevent drink fluid from being unintentionally dispensed from the drink container, such as when the drink container is pierced by the drink spout system or when the drink container is tipped over or dropped. The drink spout system is particularly useful on aseptic drink pouches, aseptic drink boxes, drink bottles and other similar drink containers.